


May the Lost Bear Witness

by silver_wolf1249



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Alternate Universe - Spirits, Doll!Ed, Edward Elric Is A Little Shit, Fire!Roy, First Chapter Kinda Sucks But I Swear It Gets Better, I Don't Even Know, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Inanimate Objects AU, M/M, Maes Hughes Lives, POV Multiple, Partial Immortality, Post-Canon, Pre-Canon, Probably will cover more canon than I intended, Roy is a Little Shit, Secret Identity, at least in the beginning, i guess?, no I'm not kidding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:41:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28213356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silver_wolf1249/pseuds/silver_wolf1249
Summary: Roy has lived for a long time, much longer than anyone could guess. Assuming that he was the only one of his kind, he had long accepted that he would have to hide for the rest of his existence. He found out he was wrong on a fateful day in Resembool in search for a pair of genius alchemists. Instead he found Edward Elric, who was as human as he was. That is to say, not at all. Both have their own purposes for the continuance of their “life”, and are firm on keeping their statuses hidden to do so. But with new mysterious deaths happening in Central,  will their secrets manage to remain so?
Relationships: Alphonse Elric & Edward Elric, Edward Elric & Trisha Elric, Edward Elric/Roy Mustang, Maes Hughes & Roy Mustang, Others to be added, Riza Hawkeye & Roy Mustang
Comments: 25
Kudos: 33





	1. Prologue: Roy

**Author's Note:**

> So, I can't actually promise I'll finish this so read at your own risk. I actually started writing the idea for this like 2 years ago and only just came back to it. And just looking at all the fics I left on hiatus during those 2 years I stopped writing despite saying I would finish them is pretty telling that I can no longer guarantee that. I drastically changed the original plot I had in mind so I'm really out here winging everything lol. Obviously I'll try my best but you know, stuff can happen. Hope you guys enjoy what I do have though!

It could still remember when it was born, sitting on a bed of rock with kindling, sticks, and logs of wood. Unsure how long it had been there, it determined that it must have been quite a while. This was because of the build up of ash on the stone underneath, though it was unsure how it knew that knowledge. The same four walls with torches and wall hangings surrounded it for as long as it could remember. Every day, an opening in the four walls was opened to let in a few moving organisms into the room, and when that happened they made strange sounds and lit thin sticks that released smoke into the air. 

Sometimes, other people would come into the room and curl up strangely, and during that period it too could hear strange sounds and wisps of light, but the holes on top of the beings would not move like they usually would when the beings came to release smoke into the air. It couldn’t talk to them to ask them why this was so, so it continued to observe the beings coming in and out of its room, and compared them to it, wondering why they were so different.

As more time passed, it began to learn the language of the beings that entered its room every so often, and from it learned more about itself and its surroundings. The beings were humans, and it was a flame that they worshipped, though the flame was unsure whether or not it was truly as sacred they described it as. It learned that it lived in a temple, and that people would come to pray to it because they believed that it could actually do something to aid them. 

The flame began to realize the wisps of light and strange sounds it heard were the prayers of these humans. As it absorbed their prayers, breathing them in like the oxygen it lived on, it would listen to these prayers, feeling helpless that all it could do was listen to the humans’ desires.

As time went on, and it observed the humans every day, it realized that something about it had changed. Something brighter than its own flames began to nestle within its core, and it realized that it was the light it had absorbed from prayers becoming something more. Experimenting with the strange power forming within it led the flame to realizing that it could finally cast its sight beyond the walls it was confined in, an opportunity it took gratefully. 

It took to observing the people in their normal lives, and learned many things. Humans were hypocritical, sinful, and foolish creatures, but they were also so full of hope, life, and innovation that the flame couldn’t understand no matter how it tried. But it wanted to, desperately so. As the deity of the clan, it wanted to protect the humans that prayed for its protection.

**~火~**

The fire crackled as the boy added more firewood to keep it going. A small sliver of moonlight fell upon the floor of the temple from a crack in the doorway, the only light apart from the fire itself. The smoke from the incense placed strategically around the room stung his eyes and once he had placed the firewood onto the altar he rubbed at them. 

Quickly shooting a glance about the room while also checking the incense, the boy’s eyes roved about. When he was sure there was no one else around, the boy turned back to the flames, allowing a small smile to play on his lips. “ _Huo sheng_ , _Huo sheng_ (1), are you there? Do you want to hear another story today?”

Slowly, the fire swirled up towards the ceiling, before settling into the shape of a young man with his eyes closed shut. When they opened, two bright orbs that shone like a pair of stars were revealed on his face. He nodded calmly, a smile of his own forming on his face, and the boy opened his mouth to excitedly rattle on about a tale of magic and monsters that he had overheard recently from the storyteller that had been passing by. The flame smiled as he felt the boy’s enthusiasm, wishing that this moment would never end.

**~火~**

A burning village laid in waste as ash filled the air. The stench of blood enveloped the area with its iron tang as pools of red shone brightly under the fire’s illumination. Bodies laid scattered on the ground, and in the center of it all was a young man, seemingly unaware of the heat and suffocating smoke around him. He cradled an older male in his arms, close to his chest. Tears of fire slowly dripped down like molten lava from the young man’s face, sizzling into smoke as they dropped off his chin. In his arms the older male lay limp and pale, the stiffness of rigor mortis already starting to settle into the cold body. “How...how did it become like this? The young man’s voice shook in despair, and parts of his body began to flicker between flesh and fire.

Miraculously, the male in the young man’s arms remained completely unscathed, the fire lightly brushing over his skin without leaving a mark. Overhead, grey clouds thundered, and soon cool rain began to fall upon the village and the fires were gently put out, sizzling down to embers and smoke, before becoming charred remains. The man looked up into the sky, and his mouth opened into a scream that pierced the air for miles around his vicinity, with only the sound of dying fires and drizzling rain as the accompaniment to his sorrow.


	2. Prologue: Edward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The birth of Edward Elric.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, I'm a lying liar who lies. I thought I'd be done with the 2nd chapter within a week...not within 5 hrs of finishing the first chapter. And unlike what I said, it's way longer than I had initially anticipated. I just had some strange urge to finish it because I already had a few paragraphs written out but I didn't expect it to get so long lol. I really didn't sleep just to write this, so if there are any mistakes just point em out to me because it's like some god awful hour of the morning here and I am way too sleepy rn to make sure it's all sound. After this are the big changes to the original plot I mentioned in the first chapter so releases will become way slower as I actually figure out what I'm doing, but hope this is an enjoyable read!

Fadl grinned down at his work, what he’d like to claim as his masterpiece. The doll in front of him was all smooth porcelain and gold. Despite its long braided hair and delicate features, the doll was unmistakably a male. Truthfully, the man was more familiar with creating female dolls, but his daughter was insistent that she didn’t want any more female dolls since she was tired of them. He always had been more indulgent with his only child.

The dollmaker had painstakingly searched for the right materials and dyes for ages to make it look as realistic as possible, and he was proud with the results. Hair as soft as silk, dyed a gleaming gold that reflected stunningly in the harsh sunlight of the desert. Glass eyes that Fadl had specially ordered, as gold as the doll’s hair. In the right light, the flecks of real gold within them shimmered and gleamed. Its porcelain skin was a light tan, with an undertone the color of the roiling sands that surrounded them. That particular detail had required Fadl to experiment for the longest time with different clays and pigments to get the color just right. 

Observing for a while longer, the man began to test the doll’s limbs one by one. For this particular doll, Fadl had created multiple new molds for every single body part and joint, from his creation’s elbows and shoulders to its toes and fingers. He truly wanted to make sure that his daughter’s gift would be his finest work to date. 

After checking the doll’s mobility, he began to put the last detail on the doll, its clothes. He had a great many clothing created for it, of many different styles, but for now he adorned the doll with a simple white robe. When he finished, he continued to stare at his creation. “Truly, my best work.” Fadl murmured to himself, feeling a little choked up.

Picking up the doll, he walked into a different room, where an altar was placed with two stone tablets on top. Placing the doll next to one of the stone tablets, the man kneeled in silence. Tears slowly trickled down his face, “Sania, I finally completed the doll I promised you.” he stumbled over his words, his tongue feeling too big for his mouth, “Baba’s sorry he was late, sorry he was always out on business trips. I missed your birthday again, didn’t I? You and mama must have been upset when I didn’t come back like I said I would, right? You must have been so scared when…”

The man trailed off as he remembered coming back from his trip with the caravan in Xing only to find empty towns and cities. Where there had once been bustling market places and fountains where people gathered to gossip only dust and the lingering emptiness remained. He and the other caravan members had scrambled to their homes only to find the same result everywhere, and Fadl could only regret he hadn’t spent more time with his family before. 

Left with an empty home and no answers to be found, he had collected all he could carry and left with the rest of the caravan to find any survivors. Now resettled with the other Xerxian people that had managed to escape from whatever horror had happened in their country, there was an air of hopelessness and loss that hung over everyone’s heads. Fadl had long lost his hope of their country ever being rebuilt to its former glory. He could only hope that his lost family and friends did not feel pain when they passed from whatever calamity had occurred. 

“Fadl!” he heard a voice calling for him, “We need some help building houses for the new residents!”

Taking a deep breath and wiping away the last stray tears, he stood up. “Coming!” he shouted back, a little proud that his voice didn’t shake.

Turning back to the altar, he quickly said a farewell and left. He noticed a spark in the doll’s eyes, but simply thought that it was a trick of the light, not realizing that there was something more than just the gold in its eyes.

**~ دمية ~**

Despite making lunch for herself in the kitchen, Trisha would sneak peeks at the mantle in her living room every once in a while. On it, a golden porcelain doll sat staring back. It was old, but well cared for, its appearance carefully maintained by its owner. When Trisha was young, she had been told by her mother that the doll was an heirloom passed from mother to daughter for generations upon generations as far back as when the ancient civilization Xerxes existed. 

She had also been told that if she ever needed it, the doll would help protect her. At the time, she had believed the stories her mother had spun about the magical looking doll. But as she grew older and lost her childish innocence, she had placed those stories to the back of her mind. Of course, she still took good care of the doll she had received, it was one of the last momentos from her late mother. But she no longer believed a doll could come to her aid if she was ever in danger. It seemed ridiculous, until it wasn’t.

The stories her mother had been telling her seemed to hold more truth than Trisha had initially thought. It had only been a week since a burglar had accosted her at home in the middle of the night. She had been on her way to the kitchen to grab a glass of water when she saw someone standing in the living room. Thieves were uncommon in the small peaceful town of Resembool, so Trisha could only freeze in shock and fear as the man dressed in black aimed a gun at her. 

He had ordered her to hand over everything precious that she owned, but Trisha had been rooted to the spot. That’s when something strange happened. It had only been a few days since the new moon, so there was not much moonlight shining through the window. And yet, the room began to brighten with a harsh glow. Both people in the room tried to locate where the sudden light came from, only to land their eyes on the doll sitting on the mantle. 

Its eyes, which usually sparkled slightly when sunlight hit it just right, were now burning with a fierce light that lit up the room. Trisha could feel some kind of slight pressure exuding from it, protectively wrapping around her like a heavy blanket. The burglar, however, was pushed to his knees by some mysterious force and stared in horror. “What is that thing!” he exclaimed, fear colouring every word as his face paled by several shades.

The strange pressure gave Trisha a gentle nudge, forcing the woman to her senses. She quickly scanned the room and rushed towards the poker by the fireplace. With a strength she hadn’t known she possessed, the brunette quickly knocked the man out with one harsh whack to the back of his head. Then she ran to grab her garden hose from the shed to tie the man up until the police could pick him up. When she reentered the living room, the doll had stopped glowing, but she could still feel its gaze upon her. For the first time in her life Trisha thought she could see something in the doll that it shouldn’t be able to have, a spark of life within its inanimate glass eyes.

Once the man had been taken away by the authorities, Trisha decided that water simply wasn’t enough for the past hour’s events. Pouring herself a glass of wine, she dazedly strode back into the living room to stare at the mantle. After a while of staring and absent mindedly sipping her glass, she then turned back to the kitchen to place the now empty glass into the kitchen sink.

As she walked back to her room, she passed by the living room once more. Stopping in front of the mantle, she gave a deep bow to the doll. “Thank you for your help tonight.” she said with a smile as calmly as she could once she stood back up, “I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t intervened.”

The pressure settled around her shoulders once more, lighter than before, though more uncertain as well. It was as if the doll was trying to give her a hug, but was unsure how. The doll’s sudden awkwardness made the woman laugh, which held a tinge of shock along with the amusement. Racking her mind for a minute, Trisha finally remembered the name she had given the doll when she had been just a girl. “Edward.” she murmured, and felt the pressure around her twitch a little, “Are you ok with me calling you that? It was after all the name I gave you, but I know you’ve been around longer than I have, haven’t you?”

As if startled by the question, the pressure trembled slightly, before wrapping around her even tighter. However, it seemed careful not to press too hard, and the brunette let out a soft smile. “I see.” she said lightly, “Edward it is. Good night then, Edward. Please take care of me in the future.”

She bowed once more to the dol-no, to Edward, and felt the pressure around her leave her as she headed back to her room. Every day afterwards, Trisha would make sure to greet Edward every morning and talk about her day in the evening. When she went to bed at night she would bid Edward good night. She never again felt the pressure around her like she did that night, but she was sure he was paying attention to her by the specific gleam in his eyes whenever she spoke to him. It was quite strange, she admitted to herself sometimes, talking to a seemingly inanimate object. But she wouldn’t have it any other way.

**~ دمية ~**

“That doll...” Hohenheim began, a strange look on his face as he entered their living room together.

“Yes darling?” Trisha asked, a sweet smile on her face.

“I always wanted to ask this but, where did you get him?” her newly wed husband asked, and the brunette could only hear innocent curiosity from him, “His coloring is rather...unique.”

Covering her mouth to hide a chuckle, Trisha nodded, “I guess so, as the only person I’ve seen with similar features seems to be you after all.” she agreed, “I’m not quite sure of his origins to be honest. My mother had told me that it was an heirloom that dated back to as far as just after the fall of Xerxes, which might be the reason why I suppose.”

An odd look appeared on the blonde’s face, and after a pause he began to speak once more. “I’m a bit surprised that the doll has managed to remain in such pristine condition after so long.” he commented, “Do you know if alchemy was placed on it to make it so?”

“Oh you and your alchemy.” Trisha teased, “I’m pretty sure he hasn’t had alchemy performed on him, just very well cared for. And his name is Edward, ok? He’s been a part of my family for as long as I remember, so don’t forget it!”

“Ah.” the man looked slightly startled, “Edward...I see. I’ll be sure to remember that.” he ended awkwardly.

Turning to the doll, Hohenheim performed a short but deep bow, “Since he’s family, I’ll pay my respects then. Please take care of me in the future” 

The brunette let out a small giggle when she noticed a familiar gleam in Edward’s eyes, “It looks like he likes you.” she told a confused Hohenheim.

“I...see?” Hohenheim began to look more and more confused but Trisha only patted the poor man lightly on the shoulder before moving away.

“I’m sure you’ll understand someday. Edward is quite protective of me you see.” she mentioned conversationally as she left the house to water the garden.

Her new husband could only nod, still looking confused as she closed the door behind her.

**~ دمية ~**

Holding her newborn child to her chest, Trisha stood up for the first time in at least a week. Still feeling a little weak, the brunette wobbled a little on her feet as she headed towards her destination with determination. As she did, she remembered Sarah telling her that with how rough the birth went, it was unlikely that she’d ever have another child. Pain panged within her heart, only abating when she looked down into her baby’s eyes.

The moment before she entered the living room, she heard her husband talking aloud. Thinking that he was in one of moods again, Trisha was about to interrupt him when she heard what he was saying. “Edward, sorry it’s been so long.” she heard him say, “it’s been a little busy with the birth and the baby, but even though Trisha was unavailable I should have come to talk to you.”

There was a pause before Hohenheim began to speak again, “It was a rough birth,” and Trisha could hear her husband’s voice wobble a little, “Mrs. Rockbell says that it’s unlikely that Trisha will ever have another child. When we were told that I wondered if I had been the problem. After all, I ruin everything I touch. I-”

Another pause, and with a small peek through a crack in the door, Trisha can see the blonde is looking at shock at Edward. Slowly, his face becomes contemplative, “So this is what Trisha meant.” he muttered to himself, and Trisha decides it’s high time she revealed herself.

“Dear.” she says lightly, cradling Alphonse to her chest, and Hohenheim looks up in shock.

It seemed that his usual people sensing abilities hadn’t been working properly when he was so deep in the dumps, as the brunette really thought that he knew she had been outside the whole time. “Dear.” she repeated, her tone firm, “I’ve already told you before, and I’ll tell you again. You’re no monster.”

She lifts a hand as the blonde begins to protest, “No, I won’t hear it. You’ve made mistakes in your life, and that’s something you can’t change. But you’re no monster, only human, and all humans make mistakes, even if yours was bigger than most.” 

Placing a less stern expression on her face, Trisha allows a smile to unfurl on her face, “If you were truly a monster, there’s no way I would’ve fell in love with you. I’m sure Edward agrees with me.”

A familiar pressure circles around the room and Hohenheim looks towards the mantle where Edward sits. After a long period of silence, he looks down, a tired but genuine smile forming on his face, “I see.”

Smile widening, Trisha looks towards Edward, raising Alphonse up a little to show him off better. “That aside, Edward, meet the new member of our family! I named him Alphonse.”

The pressure swirls slightly around her and Alphonse, in a seemingly happy manner. She turns once more to her husband to speak, “Yes,” she agrees, “I was upset when I heard I would most likely be unable to have any more children after Alphonse. I’ve always wanted to have a larger family since I was a lonely single child. But we have Alphonse, and I love him with all my heart. With you, Edward, and I, I’m sure he’ll grow up happy and surrounded by love, with or without siblings.”

She chuckles when she feels the pressure attempting an awkward hug, “Yes, I’m sure Edward would definitely protect Alphonse as much as possible. I know you’re usually passed down from mother to daughter, but since I will only have my son Alphonse, I hope you’ll make sure he’s always safe.”

Curling in tighter around the two of them, the pressure signals his agreement as a glint of determination shines in Edward’s eyes.

**~ دمية ~**

Only a few days later, however, Tricia was shocked to find that Edward had disappeared. No matter where she searched, he was nowhere to be found. She asked Sarah if she could look after Alphonse for a bit and began asking everyone in the near vicinity, but no one had seen a golden haired doll around. Just as she was about to report a missing item report to the local police station, Hohenheim ran towards her with a bundle in his hands. “Trisha!” he exclaimed, “You have to see this!”

Walking closer, Trisha finally noticed the panic on her husband’s face as he came to a stop before her. When he finally revealed the bundle in his arms to her, the brunette let out a sharp gasp of surprise. It was unmistakably her Edward. A familiar face stared back at her, now with short golden hair and chubbier cheeks than she had last seen him. His eyes were closed, but she knew the moment they were open, familiar eyes would stare back at her. The biggest surprise however was _how alive_ he now was. She reached out a finger to poke his cheek and flinched a little at the warmth that as a doll, Edward never had. “How?” she wondered aloud, awe dawning on her.

“Perhaps he heard your wishes for more children and tried to fulfill your wish?” Hohenheim contemplated, finally having calmed down a bit.

Trisha motioned for her husband to hand her the now moving, breathing Edward. She couldn’t help but feel a rush of love flooding through her the moment she held him in her arms. “Whatever the reason.” she eventually spoke, smile as bright as the sun shining above them, “It seems as if Alphonse has a new older brother.”

“But isn’t Edward technically born after Alphonse? Shouldn’t he be the younger brother?” Hohenheim asked, to which Trisha only laughed in response.

“I suppose that’s true, but it seems like baby Edward here is already more physically ahead. He seems closer to one years old rather than a newborn like Alphonse.” she eventually states, finding it a little funny that despite how long her husband’s lived, he couldn’t tell the difference.

It was at that moment that Edward opened his eyes, and the two were shocked into silence at the baby's gaze. Eyes that shone like the sun, reflecting his true age in his wizened orbs. But in a blink, Edward’s eyes turned a normal gold like that of Alphonse and Hohenheim as his lips turned up with an innocent gaze, letting out a happy gurgle. Trisha’s heart melted even further as she clutched Edward closer to her chest. Motioning for her husband to follow, she headed to pick up Alphonse to bring him home. 

“I’m not sure if you’ll remember who you were before.” she whispers softly, “But that doesn’t matter whether you do or not. Welcome to the family again...Ed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me, belatedly remembering Hohenheim created Eastern alchemy so he definitely knows qi and stuff: Welp maybe he was too busy being all mopey to use it??
> 
> FMA Theatre:  
> Hohenheim: What will we tell the neighbors? Babies don't normally come out of nowhere.  
> Trisha: Well, since he shares your eyes and hair, we can just tell them it's a relative of yours whose parents recently passed away and we took him in?  
> Hohenheim: I suppose?  
> Trisha: *smiles* And if anyone dares make a fuss I'll just have to have a talk with them, won't I?  
> Hohenheim: *shiver runs down his spine* I see.
> 
> Also if anyone forgot, because I certainly did, Sarah is Winry's mom. Please comment telling me what you think! :)


	3. Beginnings to an End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roy goes to recruit some alchemists only to find an empty house with a room covered in blood. Then he finds out said alchemists are like 10 and one of them ain't even human. This is definitely not the best day he's ever had but is certainly one of the most interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man I told myself I'd finish this chapter sometime a little after Christmas. Was not expecting my mental health and sleep schedule to take such a deep dive off the cliff but it is what it is. Hopefully I'll get another chapter out before I get busy again, but hope you enjoy this chapter for now! Lol it's actually shorter than the second prologue sadly, but I couldn't stuff any more writing in it without it being weird.
> 
> Comment below if you think it was OOC or anything because since this is the first time I've written in the fandom and since it's been a while since I've properly read the manga/watched the anime I'm not totally sure I got their reactions and stuff correct.

There was blood coating every visible surface in the room, and Roy stared down at the alchemy circle laying on the floor in front of him. It had been drawn in precise and steady lines of chalk, and seemed to be where the blood originated from. He could barely hear Riza talking to him as his mind clouded over with a haze of horror and disgust. Picking up a nearby bottle on the ground, Roy half mindedly read the label: Sulfur, 113 g. 

Checking inside showed that most of the bottle’s contents were gone, and if his understanding of the situation was correct, then exactly 100 grams of the sulfur should be gone. Roy sucked in a deep breath, the oxygen bringing some clarity back to him. The soldier who had driven them entered the room, “Lieutenant Colonel, sir, they aren’t in the back. They should be-”

“Where?” Roy interrupts, feeling the fire burning in his core rise up in a way it hadn’t since he made that promise to himself under the blistering Ishval sun, like when he had-no, this wasn’t the time to ruminate over the past. 

At the old man’s confusion, Roy’s voice rose several decibels, “Where the hell are the Elric brothers!?” he questions coldly, tamping down on his flames to leave only coals of fury barely smoldering within him.

Less than ten minutes later, he is knocking the door to a comfortable looking two story house. A short, old lady opens the door, and Roy is glad that the soldier guiding them had informed them of the residents of the house. Letting out a brisk apology to the elder Rockbell as he stormed past her. Letting Riza explain the situation, he scanned the room for clues of the two young alchemists.

Within seconds he noticed the large suit of armor in the corner and one of the two children he had seen in the picture he noticed at the Elric house. Instead of the bright smile he had in the picture, the boy looked defeated in the wheelchair he sat in. Notably, the right sleeve of the kid’s long sleeved shirt and left pant leg drooped limply where an arm and leg should have resided.

The dead stare in the blonde’s eyes made the flames that Roy had so desperately tried to smother flare back up, hazing his vision with a vicious red. Rushing towards him, he grabbed the front of the boy’s shirt. “We went to your house! What the hell is that mess? What the hell did you make?”

The young boy’s face began to wobble as his lips formed a pained expression, and Roy kept a firm grip on his clothing. The armor next to him moves to clunkily grab at his arm, but its grip merely exerted a light pressure rather than the pain the older man expected. “Sorry. Please forgive him.” a tinny, high pitched voice of a  _ child _ echoes from within the armor.

Staring, a growing sense of understanding and dread rose within Roy. As the armor continued to repeat its, no,  _ his _ apologies, Roy’s anger began to slowly fade. The flames of anger that had fumed became a cold chunk of coal within his chest. 

As his senses came back to him in bits and pieces, the brunette finally noticed that there was something off about the boy in the wheelchair, missing limbs aside. So lost in his fury, the Lieutenant Colonel almost didn’t notice the spark of unnaturalness within the blonde boy, a spark similar to his own. It seemed as if the boy recognized it within him as well, if the widening of his dull eyes were any sign. 

Mind swirling with unanswered questions and only half a constructed understanding of the situation, Roy released his hand on the boy’s shirt with a short sigh. “It seems we have much to discuss.” he ended up commenting, staring straight at the wheelchair bound boy.

**~火~**

After a conversation with the Elric boys and the elder Rockbell, in which Roy changed a few bits of his original recruitment speech, the old woman remained unconvinced and unmoved. The Lieutenant Colonel could hardly blame her, he barely believed that he was still attempting to recruit the Elrics after all that he witnessed. Knowing that the elder Elric brother was similar to him should have made his instincts scream even louder to leave and pretend the incident never happened. And yet, something inside him whispered at him, that he absolutely needed to recruit them. 

Sighing, the brunette stood from his chair, “That’ll be all for today.” he stated, handing the prewritten letter of recommendation and his business card into the waiting hand of Alphonse Elric. 

“If you decide to, come to the headquarters in East City. This should be helpful.”

Heading towards the door to tell Riza that they were leaving, he felt a pull on the coat wrapped over his arm. Glancing down let him witness impossibly gold eyes looking up at him. The blonde’s gaze felt like blazing hot coals, effectively stopping Roy in place. “We need to talk.” the boy said, voice firm and unyielding despite it being the first words he had said their entire encounter.

“Alone.” Edward ground out as the elder Rockbell and his younger brother made no motion to move from their places.

Despite the concerned gazes and protests of the two, they eventually agreed reluctantly and left the room. Roy stared at the boy, unsure how to proceed, and thankfully the blonde took control of the situation. A much more hesitant voice than before asked softly, “You, you’re like me aren’t you? Who, no, what are you? What are you trying to do here?”

Suspicion coated the Elric’s every word, and Roy hissed out a long breath before sitting back down at the table. If he was about to have this conversation, he may as well be comfortable doing it. “I was quite hoping we would just avoid the topic, to be honest.” he responded glibly, “Though I too have similar questions for you, Edward Elric, if that is truly who you are that is.”

A rough scowl covered the boy’s face, “I asked first.” he demanded gruffly.

Roy lifted his hands in mock surrender, “Fair enough, and I will answer, but only if you have the courtesy to return the favor.”

Scowl lessening, Edward’s face began to look contemplative, “Like equivalent exchange then?”

At Roy’s short nod, the blonde tilted his head slightly in thought before nodding back in agreement. “Then I shall start with the first question.” the brunette began, “Yes, it seems I am like you, in that neither of us are human, correct? It also seems that both of us were born through natural means. Well, as natural as our existence can be I suppose.”

Edward’s head bobbed up and down once in agreement, and Roy took it as a sign to continue, “As for what I am, well, I suppose showing you would be faster.”

He slowly removed a glove to reveal his bare right hand. The boy flinched slightly when Roy’s entire hand burst into flames, before revealing an intrigued expression. Letting loose a practiced smile, Roy compressed himself back into his mortal shell, “Now that I’ve shown you mine, would you show me yours?”

An uneasy expression crossed the kid’s face before he nodded again silently, and Roy is glad that he’s not the only one a little unnerved by their conversation. In all the centuries of his existence and travels, he had never once heard about nor seen other beings like him. The fact that another existed was slightly unsettling.

His core flickered with excitement and unease in his gut that he did his best to keep off his face. Edward Elric really did seem very similar to him, with a few discrepancies. As Roy had been the only one of his kind before this moment, he wasn’t able to perceive where the differences came from. His musing stuttered to a halt as the kid raised his remaining hand, the back of his hand facing Roy.

There was a small flash, but Elric’s hand looked the same as it had only a second ago. No, Mustang mused to himself, taking a better look at the limb. There was something off about it, his flames flaring with curiosity as he turned a questioning look to the boy. The kid sighed, but held out his hand, which the brunette pulled into his own. 

The hand was stone cold, and as far as Roy could tell, as hard as one too. He didn’t miss the small flinch the boy released, and was quick to let go of the hand, to which Edward quickly drew his remaining limb to rest on what remained of his left leg. Roy still wasn’t entirely sure what Edward was, but the demonstration had certainly helped narrow down the possibilities. 

The blonde opened his mouth, “I really am Edward Elric you know, I didn’t try and replace someone’s child. Just that when I took human form, I started as a baby. They weren’t entirely sure I would grow like a normal human child, but over the years there hasn’t been any evidence that I wouldn’t.”

Roy nodded, taking in the new information, his flames dying down slightly as his curiosity became subdued. If Edward had only been human for eleven years, then he could forgive the attempted human transmutation, even if it was still an awful situation all round. As he had come to learn within the first few years of walking around in human form, existing for a long time did not give one any experience in life.

Their extended existence merely gave them a different perception of life once they got used to living among the humans like one of their own. As it was, even Roy sometimes thought of committing the taboo despite his long life amongst the humans. Considering the short span of his time as a human, Edward was still quite naive to the world around him and Roy couldn’t fault him for that.

“I assume because of what you are that you didn’t die along with your brother during the transmutation.” Roy contemplated aloud, noting that the blonde scowl had returned in full force.

“I don’t wanna talk about it, bastard.” Edward returned hotly, “Now tell me what are you up to. There’s no way you’d try to invite someone like me to the military without having some sort of intentions in mind.”

Holding his hands up once more, Roy forced out an amused chuckle. “I really did mean what I said you know. Joining the military might just be your best bet to get your brother’s body back to normal, if not yours as well. Human or not, your talent is unquestionable, so of course I’d try to recruit you.”

The blonde let out a huff, clearly still distrusting of the soldier, and the brunette sent him his most winning smile. “Whether you believe me or not isn’t quite my concern. While it would be great for my career if I did manage to recruit two genius alchemists, especially ones as young as you and your brother, I would still manage even without you joining.”

Standing up from the table, Roy nodded at the wheelchair bound boy, “Well, if that’s it, I really must go now. I can only imagine the amount of paperwork that’s piled up on my desk at this point. Unfortunately, there’s no way Second Lieutenant Hawkeye will allow me to slack off when we get back to East City.”

His hand paused as it hovered slightly above the door knob, and Roy turned his head slightly to eye Edward, “Do think over my offer, will you? However, I would completely understand if you decided not to. Even if you decide not to join the military, I would like a correspondence every once in a while. As the first like my kind I’ve ever seen, I would hate it if we were to never communicate ever again.”

Feeling the kid’s eyes on his back as he proceeded to leave the room, Roy turned to Riza, who had been sitting outside the room. To his mild surprise, she was sitting next to a small blonde girl who couldn’t have been older than the Elric brothers. “Let’s go.” he muttered, not waiting for Riza before heading towards the front door.

**~火~**

“Are those kids going to come?” Riza questioned, as she and Roy headed towards the train station.

“They will.”

“You sound confident.” Riza mused, “That Ed kid looked like he would never recover.”

She glanced up slightly to see a familiar smirk form on her CO’s face, “Oh really?”

The Lieutenant Colonel continued staring in the direction of the Rockbell residence even though the house was no longer within viewing distance. He had a look in his eyes that was unfathomable, and Riza had been so focused trying to decipher what the look meant that she almost missed Roy muttering under his breath, “Those eyes...They were eyes lit with determination.”

Humming slightly, Riza looked down again, her mind whirling. Her friend’s predictions were rarely wrong. Idly, she wondered to herself if she should give the kid lessons in handling guns when he joined. A thought for a later date perhaps, she thought to herself. She allowed her mind to wander off as the cart continued to rock back and forth on the uneven road. Yes, it wouldn’t do for any member of the military to have no experience with firearms, child or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnd that's a wrap! What'd you guys think of my take on the first meeting? And honestly while writing this I finally also got a halfway through an actual plotline of what I want to do with this fic lol. I also realized that there's gonna be some backstory and worldbuilding I might never get to just because I might not have enough time to shove it all in one work and I'm a little sad about that. Hopefully that doesn't actually end up being the case because damn have I worked hard on the backstory and stuff. Thanks for reading and hope you guys enjoyed!
> 
> FMA Theatre:  
> Ed: Oi old hag! Hook me up with some automail, there's a smarmy bastard in East City that I need to punch the face of. An automail right hook oughta do the trick!  
> Al: What did you guys even talk about in there, brother?  
> Ed: None of your business Al! Can ya do it or not ya old hag?  
> Pinako: Who are you calling an old hag, micro pee wee!  
> *Cue argument but Pinako's just glad Ed doesn't look like he's half a step in the grave anymore"
> 
> *At the same time somewhere in the East City military base*  
> Roy: *AchOo* I'm pretty sure I'm allergic to this ink Second Lieutenant...  
> Riza: *Cocks gun* You were saying, sir?  
> Roy: *ahem* Did I say something? My apologies, I don't remember what it was, but this paperwork sure looks exciting!

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. Huo sheng is Chinese pinyin for like, Fire Sage/Saint. I found the honorific sheng online though so I'm not entirely sure how accurate it is.
> 
> Hope you guys enjoyed! I'd love to see what you guys think and any questions or predictions so please comment! Especially since I barely have half a plan in mind lol. Since the first two chapters will be prologues introducing some backstory, they'll be pretty short. Hopefully future chapters will be a bit longer. Chapter 2 is already in progress so that will probably be updated pretty soon.


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